


Damn the Police

by clearmytime, teaseofnight



Category: Super Junior
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 20:09:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11493858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clearmytime/pseuds/clearmytime, https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaseofnight/pseuds/teaseofnight
Summary: Kyuhyun is dragged into a series of performances of the promotion unit of Seoul Police and unexpectedly gets charmed by a handsome recruit.





	Damn the Police

 

It was the way that Yeri had described the whole event that influenced Kyuhyun's thoughts and feelings regarding their day ahead. Having been made to chaperone his seventeen year old sister, he was forced to drag himself out of his dorm for that evening to be by her side as a good older brother. He already knew what he was in for, already knowledgeable of his sister's obsession with idol groups for the past three years, and he was set on napping his way throughout the whole performance like what he had been doing so since she began her crazy need to follow her idols around even after they've entered the army for service.

 

Practically immune to the reactions and chattering around him whenever he's brought amongst the numerous idol fans that Yeri had made friends with, Kyuhyun made a beeline towards the assigned seats his sister had told him to go to. He settled himself on the aisle seat, away from the fans who wanted a middle seat to get better view of the performance. Wrapped up in his wool scarf, he adjusted it to hide half of his face before he leaned back and slouched down low enough for the person behind him to be able to see the full view of the head of the person sitting in front of him. His gaze shifted upward when a number of girls excused themselves to enter his row, causing him to move his long legs sideways in order to make room.

 

“I hope you don't snore this time around, oppa,” Yeri whispered as she made herself comfortable beside her brother. “It's a small theater. People will hear you this time around as compared to when you snored in the stadium.”

 

Kyuhyun grumbled. “It wasn't my fault. I just finished my second draft when I was told that I had to go with you to that concert. All I wanted to do was sleep.” He made a face. “And it's not as if I can control my snoring.”

 

“But you didn't have to fall asleep in all three days of concerts,” Yeri retorted.

 

“And you didn't have to watch all three days of the same concert,” Kyuhyun shot back, earning a look from his sister, which made him roll his eyes. Despite himself, he never really pointed out the ridiculousness of his sister's actions as he knew it would only do more harm than good. “How long will this thing take anyway?”

 

“Just over an hour or two. Not as long as the concerts,” Yeri replied, taking out her cellphone and tapping the application for the camera. “I haven't gotten my camera back from Umma, so I will have to use my phone.”

 

“And you're not whining about that?”

 

Yeri shook her head just as the lights dimmed. “He's not my favourite member anyway. I'm just here to show support because he's part of the group.”

 

“Thank God you won't be shrieking then...” Kyuhyun mumbled to himself, closing his eyes when the announcer's voice greeted the audience.

 

He barely listened to the talking, desperately trying to drown out the shrieking going on around him. Never been one to enjoy going concerts, he often tried his best to avoid them, especially having to accompany his sister in idol-related ones. It was just his luck that Yeri never wavered in her fanaticism, which, in turn, kept him tied to her by their parents in order to keep her out of trouble.

 

His eye twitched when he heard a Michael Jackson song come on, the audience growing quiet in order to watch the performance. It was only when the shrieking abruptly returned that it caused him to jump on his seat, his eyes snapping open.

 

"What the hell?" Kyuhyun hissed out.

 

Yeri glanced at him apologetically. "It's the lead dancer," she whispered to him amidst the screaming. "He's not part of an idol group, but...damn, he should be."

 

Simply giving her an unamused look, Kyuhyun's attention shifted to the main dancer in the middle, who currently had his hat low in order to cover his eyes. He frowned in irritation, almost rolling his eyes, but stopped when the man did a body wave that had him tilt his head in interest.

 

"No one knows who that is?"

 

His sister shook her head. "No, not really. Then again, when do we ever usually know the names of everyone who goes into service?"

 

Kyuhyun looked annoyed, but kept his attention on the dancer, watching as the man effortlessly led the others in the dance. While he was far from an expert in dancing, it was obvious to him how fluid the man's moves were compared to the others, making him stand out the most despite all of them supposedly blending together due to their similar uniforms. It was almost too mesmerizing to watch him dance.

 

It didn't occur to Kyuhyun that he was so into the performance until the dancer finally took his hat off and threw it to the side, nearly putting a pause on his heartbeat.

 

"Ah, he's the best friend of my favourite idol!" Yeri exclaimed, only loud enough for her brother to hear.

 

Kyuhyun looked at her. "He's not an idol? Really?"

 

"No, that one over there is." Yeri looked to the side, nodding her head towards one of the MCs.

 

"How do you even know he's the best friend of an idol?"

 

Yeri smiled brightly. "My idol has an Instagram, so he often posts pictures, and I've seen a few with that man in it. Ah! I don't even remember his name! I should know this! I know this!"

 

Kyuhyun decided not to respond to his sister's words, but not entirely by choice. His thoughts were wrapped up around one subject alone, a subject that was enough to leave him possibly incoherent or even speechless. The probable cause of his reaction was already confirmed in his mind, but he still could not phantom saying it out loud. He was there only as a chaperone and he had already planned to sleep through the whole two hours allotted for the whole performance; but somehow, for some horrifying reason, Kyuhyun was wide awake. His full attention was set on the one dancer he dared not dart his gaze away from, partly due to his magnetic dance and the other because of his captivating gorgeous face. It was like staring at God's perfect creation – Kyuhyun hated himself for even thinking of it, but there were no other words.

 

When the lights illuminated the whole theater with brightness, Kyuhyun pushed himself back against his seat once he caught sight of how closely he resembled the fans around him with how he had looked like just seconds ago. He prayed to the high heavens that no one had noticed the enchanted look that painted his face whilst he watched the mysterious dancer or the way his mouth had slowly opened in awe when he finally saw his face in clearer view. Whatever happened in those few minutes he was out of their world like a drugged man floating in a cloud surrounded by all things beautiful in existence, he pleaded to anyone who'd listened to his rambling words inside his mind that no one witnessed it, especially not the man himself.

 

“Oh, it looks like he'll be an emcee, too,” Yeri said in a soft voice, her head following the movements of the man who walked right to the side of the stage to retrieve a microphone. “Now we can find out who he is!”

 

Kyuhyun continued to keep to himself and remain in silence. A hesitation brewed by his shameless desire to look back at the mystery man masked his face, causing him to fidget a bit in place until he heard voices from the speakers that greeted the audience. His eyes darted towards the stage without his permission and it instantly widened when, for a very brief moment, his gaze met that of the nameless dancer's.

 

“No, that's not who I am,” the man chuckled in response to what his co-host had said. “Not Michael, just Donghae. Police Promotion Unit Recruit Lee Donghae at your service.”

 

The audience screamed and cheered, and the smile on this Donghae's face was almost blinding as he beamed at them all.

 

Kyuhyun couldn't focus on his words, only managing to hear to the sound of his voice as he spoke. It sounded nice, beautiful even. It wasn't too deep, but not too high either, and he found himself wondering how it'd sound if the man ever sang one day.

 

And he nearly smacked himself in the face for thinking that.

 

"Finally, a name!" Yeri cheered in a form of a whisper. "I knew it! He really is the best friend!"

 

Kyuhyun bit his tongue to prevent himself from saying anything as to not appear that interested in what his sister knew about the man. As he watched Donghae and the other emcees playfully suggest singing a song for them all, he prayed to all deities that this man wasn't as perfect as he hoped.

 

His hopes were shattered the very moment he heard him sing.

\- - -

 

"You fell for a policeman?!" Changmin cackled, nearly falling over his chair as he allowed himself to laugh so freely after hearing Kyuhyun's story. “And love at first sight at that!”

 

Turning red, Kyuhyun hissed at him to shut up, ignoring the startled looks they were receiving from the other patrons in the cafe.

 

Beside Changmin, Sungmin was trying hard not to laugh himself, managing to force a polite smile to form on his lips. "I'm both surprised at this information and the fact that you didn't fall asleep," the oldest commented once Changmin finally settled down. "Was this guy that good-looking?"

 

Kyuhyun gave an ashamed nod.

 

Still snickering, Changmin took out his phone and began typing away on it. "You said his name is Lee Donghae, right? And that he's supposedly the best friend of your sister's favorite idol?"

 

"Yeah..? Why?"

 

"Found him!" Changmin announced gleefully. "Damn, you weren't holding back anything."

 

When Changmin slid his phone against the table towards Sungmin, Kyuhyun couldn't help but reach for his glass of ice cold water that he had absent-mindedly asked for the moment he arrived in the cafe.

 

“Honestly, not bad on your part. I won't kick him out of bed,” Sungmin jokingly said, leaning back against his chair. “Compared to the other people you've been attracted to, this one is a huge upgrade.”

 

“There's not much to go by online, though, since he's not exactly a celebrity,” Changmin sighed out, evidently disappointed as he set his mobile phone aside. “You're going to have to dig dirt on the soil itself.”

 

Kyuhyun made a disgusted expression. “Is that supposed to be metaphorically-speaking?”

 

“What else?” Changmin gave the older man a questioning look. “Are you going to see him again?”

 

“Not a chance. I am not going back there after what happened.” The memory of him finding himself a great deal of resemblance to how his sister and her friends looked like during their favorite idol group's concerts made Kyuhyun shiver, almost horrified at the prospect of him looking like that all because of a stranger. “I have projects and my thesis proposal to finish before the holiday break. I don't have the time to waste in those performances.”

 

Sungmin chuckled, catching the attention of the other two with him. “I think it's enough that you've seen him twice now. If you go into that territory we're all thinking of, I may need to re-evaluate a few things about our friendship.” He tilted his head to the side while looking at Kyuhyun. “While I am not against you turning into how your sister is, I don't think it would be healthy for you to be obsessed with this stranger guy considering he's only a civilian, after all. He's not selling you any goods.”

 

“Even if he is, I'm not planning on buying,” Kyuhyun retorted.

 

“Are you sure?” Changmin teasingly asked, a cheeky grin plastered on his face. “His goods might be _good_.”

 

Kyuhyun blinked slowly, staring straight at the younger man. “That was pathetic.”

 

Changmin gave a shrug. "He is a mega huge upgrade when it comes to your taste, though."

 

"I think we can all agree that he's attractive," Sungmin stated before Kyuhyun could strangle the youngest. "But he's still just a random civilian, even if he is the best friend of your sister's favorite idol. For all we know, he could actually be very terrible. A pretty face won't save an ugly personality."

 

Kyuhyun groaned. "I knew I shouldn't have told you."

 

"But you did," Changmin sang, clearly enjoying teasing his best friend as evidence by the large grin on his face. "He's a policeman, right? Or police recruit? How do you call him exactly? Or is he a real member of the force? He could be out on patrol right now, so you might run into him."

 

Frowning deeply, Kyuhyun only glared at Changmin.

 

"So, what are you going to do?" Sungmin decided to ask, looking at Kyuhyun intently. "Are you going to pursue him or leave it be?"

 

Kyuhyun scowled. "Leave it be, of course. I'm not going to pine after some stranger."

 

The youngest mumbled something that had Kyuhyun glaring at him. Before he could say something, his attention was caught when he heard the door bell chime, signalling someone entering. Lifting his eyes, he nearly choked upon seeing Donghae enter, snow fresh on his shoulders that he brushed off. Inadvertently, his eyes followed the man as he walked up to the counter, no doubt ordering a hot drink.

 

“What's gotten you distracted?” Sungmin asked out of genuine curiosity before following the younger man's gaze. “Oh, wow, what a coincidence.”

 

Changmin quickly darted his head to the side, his wide eyes shifting left to right until he found what he assumed to be what he was looking for. Instantly, his mouth fell open, head turning back to look at Kyuhyun. The clear surprise in his face eventually changed to that of amusement, eliciting a loud cackle from him that rang throughout the whole cafe.

 

Kyuhyun immediately worked unrelentingly to try to calm his best friend down, even going so far as to slap his hand over his mouth to stop the noises he was making. Finally managing to somewhat silence him, he shyly looked up and around them, lowering his head in apology towards the people who had looked their way, having been disrupted by Changmin's laughter. A part of him wanted to glance towards the counter where Donghae had been standing the last time he had looked, but he was too ashamed to find the will to do so, knowing that he surely found their little group to be crazy troublemakers.

 

“You're going to get us kicked out of here,” Sungmin calmly stated, reaching for his mug of hot chocolate. “I say, that's a good way to get attention. But I don't think it's the kind of attention that Kyuhyun wants.”

 

“I don't want any attention!” Kyuhyun hissed out, giving Changmin an evil eye as the younger man struggled to free his mouth. “I will put you out of your misery if you swear not to cause a scene.”

 

Changmin eagerly nodded as best as he could manage from within the headlock he was trapped in. A bright smile formed on his lips when he was finally freed, causing him to let out a heavy breath of both relief and need. “That was unnecessary!”

 

“You're unnecessary,” Sungmin retorted jokingly. “You have no self-control. It's like you're the one into the guy. Give Kyuhyun his man, will you?”

 

“He is not my man!” Kyuhyun exclaimed in a harsh whisper, unintentionally glancing to his right when he caught movement from the corner of his eye. “Oh, hell no...” He bit his lower lip as soon as he noticed the stranger sitting just a table away from them, busy dusting off his coat to drape over his chair. “Let's get out of here.”

 

"But I haven't finished my drink yet," Changmin quietly said, sounding like a child despite the grin on his face only growing wider. "He's clearly here on a break, so maybe he could use some company."

 

The oldest sighed softly, ever the picture of patience. "It'd be strange to just randomly go up to a guy and talk to him," he reasoned, his lips twitching upwards in an obvious effort of holding back a smile. "Besides, our Kyuhyun is too shy to take a direct approach."

 

"I'm going to strangle you both," Kyuhyun groaned out warningly, already gathering his belongings. "Can we just go?"

 

Sharing looks, both Changmin and Sungmin finally agreed after deciding they had enough teasing Kyuhyun for now.

 

Looking evidently relieved, Kyuhyun shouldered his bag and followed his two best friends out of the cafe. However, he cursed his luck when he slipped on melted snow just as he was about to make his escape. He braced himself for the inevitable impact before it was replaced with shock when he felt a hand on his arm, quickly steadying him.

 

As he lifted his head to thank the person, he felt his face go red upon realizing it was the handsome stranger that caught him.

 

"Are you okay?" Donghae questioned, only releasing Kyuhyun once he was sure the other man was steady on his feet.

 

Not trusting his voice, Kyuhyun could only nod.

 

Donghae gave him a smile, one that had Kyuhyun's heartstrings tugging erratically in his chest.

 

"Good to hear," the older man said, pulling back. "You were there that other night, weren't you? And the week before that? At the musical?"

 

Kyuhyun squeaked, eyes widening. "U-Um..."

 

Donghae's smile turned sheepish, his head shaking. "I apologize. I'm keeping you from your friends. Be careful out there."

 

Stammering out a quick thanks, Kyuhyun hurried over to Sungmin and Changmin, who were both watching the scene from the door.

 

"Had fun?" Sungmin teased, only to earn a low growl from the younger man.

 

Pushing his friends out of the establishment, Kyuhyun could only groan as the laughter of his friends surrounded him all throughout the way.

\- - -

 

The rush of schoolwork to be done before the deadline nearing the holiday break had taken most of Kyuhyun's time, much to his relief. It had given him the perfect excuse to give to his parents to get out of accompanying his sister whenever she attended the police musical. Though the busy schedule was really an excuse for another reason altogether, there was no need for his parents to know about that, especially not his sister, and Kyuhyun was hell-bent on keeping his secret crush hidden from Yeri at all costs. Not due to being afraid of getting teased (Yeri simply loved the idea of him having a crush or dating or just showing any form of emotion other than resentment towards the weather), but it might be used as an excuse by his sister to keep dragging him to the musical, which he was not sure he could really pass up on as thoughts of the handsome Lee Donghae would pop up in his mind without him even realizing he's already invaded his thoughts.

 

When the holiday break finally caught up, Kyuhyun had been one of the select lucky students to submit his requirements before deadline. Much thanks to him forcing himself to not be distracted by his newfound admiration for a certain stranger, he was able to somehow breeze past the whole two weeks of hell week. Unfortunately, it meant that he was left by his lonesome while his friends were still trying to catch the deadline, but what was the worst thing about it was he no longer had any good excuse to use when his parents welcomed him home for the holidays with a request to accompany Yeri to another musical at the theater.

 

Kyuhyun could not believe his luck. The two weeks he had worked hard to avoid and try to forget about his silly admiration all crumbled to dust when he found himself on the same spot he had been the first time he's there in the theater, with the same atmosphere surrounding him just moments before the program would start. He willed himself to not even think of how he was cornered so easily by his parents or how he had crazily agreed to hold his sister's cellphone to record the performance while she took photos with the camera she had finally gotten back from their mother. Both events came to him in a blur, and he had no intention of revisiting them again.

 

"You haven't been able to accompany me the past two weeks, so I have to tell you this now. After the show, we'll be staying for a bit because the police sometimes do handshakes with the audience, which also happens during the program, mind you," Yeri spoke up quietly, her eyes focused on fixing the lens of her camera. "And after that, we'll go backstage. The idol from my favourite group greets the fans from there. You can just hang back. He's the only one allowed to greet us but only for a few short minutes, so it's going to be a quick greeting."

 

"Great. More waiting..." Kyuhyun mumbled to himself before he tilted his head and cocked his chin to the side. "What did you mean by 'during the program'?"

 

"Oh, that part's fun. In-between the performances, the MCs come out to interact with the audience. They go down the aisle to greet them. It gives time for the performers to prepare," the younger replied, her head rising when the lights dimmed. "It's fun because they talk to us, and my favorite idol's best friend is really nice to look at up close!"

 

Kyuhyun cursed the deities.

 

As he watched Donghae dance effortlessly again, he refused to let himself fall into the same mindless state of the fan girls surrounding him. When it was time for them to do a little talk, Kyuhyun swallowed as he watched Donghae slip down into the audience to greet them closely.

 

"I hope he comes to our side today," Yeri whispered. "Sometimes he stays on the other side."

 

Kyuhyun glanced at her. "You seem really excited about this."

 

"He's very handsome," his sister admitted, "And he's such a lovable guy. It's a shame he isn't a celebrity."

 

Shaking his head, Kyuhyun turned to look back at what was happening, almost reeling back in shock once he saw Donghae coming to their aisle. He cursed at himself, eyes fixated on the bright smile on his face as he interacted with the audience, laughing softly when the fan girls tried to touch his hand.

 

There was most certainly a lapse of judgement with the how Kyuhyun handled himself while staring at the police recruit who was barely ten feet away from where he sat. In normal occasions, he'd have snorted and looked away or covered his whole head with the hood of his jacket, but that was far from what he had done in that moment. Like a man not himself, Kyuhyun simply sat there and stared enchantedly at Lee Donghae with glassy eyes masked with adoration. He was ensnared by the mere presence of the stranger he knew nothing of, and he just as well felt the fear of the possibility of there being a 'might happen' should Donghae move closer than he already was towards him.

 

And by the gods in the skies, he just did.

 

Kyuhyun never thought that he'd ever wish to be swallowed whole by an old auditorium seat or a disgusting theater floor; he'd never even thought about the concept of being brought back to the dirt where he'd come from. Shifty eyes greeted Donghae with an unsettled look when he stepped right up beside him, and Kyuhyun immediately felt the urge to move to a fetal position and hide inside the cocoon of his coat. It was in that moment while Donghae stood on his side that he felt like he had yet to fully bloom into a man good enough to stand so confidently in front of the whole crowd of adoring girls. There was no feeling of insignificance, just a realization on his part for looking so plain and simple. He began to wonder just how old Donghae is, which caused him to miss out on what the recruit had said, earning him a good nudge from his sister beside him.

 

"We have a good number of men here in the audience that are probably here to accompany their girlfriends or here to check out what we do ahead of their own enlistment dates," the idol half of the MC tandem said in a loud voice that was enough for Kyuhyun to remember where exactly he is. "One, in particular, looks to be that guy right next to you, huh, Officer Lee?"

 

"Perhaps," Donghae said in a sing-song voice. His gaze trailed down to Kyuhyun, a kind smile already plastered on his lips. "So we meet again. But maybe this time, I can get a name."

 

"Again?" Yeri voiced out in surprised, her eyes blinking in wonder.

 

"Oh, looks like you've struck a nerve there, Officer Lee! His girlfriend-"

 

"Ew! Gross! No!" Yeri yelled out hurriedly, completely ignoring the audience that she belonged with. "He's my older brother! Please don't even finish your sentence!"

 

Yeri's words brought a chorus of loud laughter within the whole theater, successfully easing the crowd's mood. Though it evidently did nothing to relax Kyuhyun that well.

 

"My apologies, then," the idol told her before looking back at Donghae. "Officer Lee, isn't she such a cutie?"

 

Donghae nodded. "Are you here to see someone?" He brought the microphone closer to Yeri.

 

"Just enjoying the show," Yeri replied happily. "You're all so good looking, especially you!"

 

The audience cheered loudly once again, which made Donghae cover his mouth to hide his embarrassment at the bold praise thrown his way.

 

"I think you just got yourself another fan there, Officer Lee," the idol teased, his head turning to the side to look at the stage. "Oh, it looks like our next performance is about to start. That means it's time for us to stay on the sidelines for a bit. But we'll be back shortly afterwards, so don't you worry."

 

As the lights dimmed down dark enough for the spotlight to be centered on the stage where a performance had began, Kyuhyun found himself letting out a heavy sigh - out of relief and uneasiness. After what nearly happened, the only thing he could really care to think about was how to get the minutes to pass by faster for him to be able to scramble out of there. He breathed in and out slowly, deciding to remain as calm as he could possibly parade himself to be, but just as he was about to make himself comfortable, his eyes darted to his left where he was able to make out a figure that appeared to be crouched next to him. Kyuhyun nearly jumped in shock, only to freeze in place when the figure spoke in a hushed voice that rang so melodically in his ears, the familiarity of it pulling him back to earth.

 

"I'm sorry to bother you, but it bothers me," Officer Lee (unmistakably) spoke up softly. "I still haven't gotten a name."

 

Kyuhyun stammered a bit, feeling his cheeks heat up. After what felt like forever, he answered, "Cho Kyuhyun."

 

Officer Lee flashed him a bright smile that nearly had Kyuhyun's heart stopping.

 

"It's nice to meet you, then, Kyuhyun-ssi," Officer Lee told him, the bright smile still plastered on his face. "I'm Lee Donghae."

 

Mumbling, he could only stammer out a response that had the older man give him an amused look. However, before Kyuhyun could do anything else, the older man slipped away from the audience to join his fellow emcees in the back.

 

He felt himself burn when he caught a glimpse of Yeri's amused gaze focused on him.

 

Directing his eyes to the ceiling, he hissed out a curse to whatever deity was out to get him.

\- - -

 

Kyuhyun wanted to bury himself ten feet under the ground and wanted to strangle Changmin at the same time.

 

"Your interest might be reciprocated," Sungmin, always the mature one, commented as the three of them walked around the city, finally free of school stuff to worry about.

 

"I doubt it. He's just curious." Taking out his cellphone, Kyuhyun looked down at the screen and let out a heavy sigh when he saw his mother's name as the caller. He raised a hand out to request his friends to keep quiet as he answered the call rather reluctantly. "I'm just with Sungmin and Changmin. We're just walking around. Why?" A resigned look appeared on his face while he listened to his mother's words from the other end of the line, chancing a few attempts to butt in. "But it's just nearby. She'll be fine! It's daylight anyway. It's my free–Umma!"

 

"That didn't sound like a pleasant conversation," Changmin remarked. "Babysitting duties again, I take it?"

 

Kyuhyun groaned, his head hanging low. "Yeri and her friends volunteered to this orphanage to entertain the kids. But our mother just found out that she had an ulterior motive because, apparently, some conscripted volunteers, which included her favorite idol's unit, are there visiting the housing for the homeless right across for a feeding program and Christmas party."

 

"So your mom told you to check on her immediately?" Sungmin chuckled when the younger nodded and grumbled. "Then we better get going. Your mom being angry is one scene I do not want to witness."

 

The three friends resigned themselves to their fate while making the walk to where they'd find Yeri. All throughout the journey, Changmin continuously teased Kyuhyun regarding his crush towards the handsome recruit, insisting that the latter pursue his innocent admiration in hopes of great results that may come. Even Sungmin had jumped in to encourage the challenge, to which Kyuhyun could do nothing but grumble and repeatedly decline.

 

"There's your sister!" Changmin exclaimed, pointing at one of the girls who were gathered in the field right in front of the building across the orphanage. "Yeri!"

 

Kyuhyun took a step forward to enter the compound but stopped abruptly when he felt his shoe being held back. His eyes trailed down to the ground and found one of his shoelaces untied, making him sigh out. "You two go ahead and make sure Yeri doesn't give us the slip. I'll be right with you."

 

Crouching down, he heard the footsteps of his friends gradually fade while he continued to tie his laces. He secured the knot twice before standing up, breathing in the cold winter air that blew against his cheeks. Buttoning his coat to secure his warmth, Kyuhyun glanced behind him when he heard a few loud voices and saw a great number of men in their soldier uniforms coming in and out of the compound right in front of him.

 

"Is that you, Kyuhyun-ssi?"

 

Feeling a shock go down his spine, Kyuhyun slowly turned around and immediately wished he didn't as he was greeted by Donghae's smiling face.

 

"So it is you," Donghae said happily, his smile widening. "I'm surprised to see you here."

 

Kyuhyun looked around, hoping either of his friends were nearby, and felt his heart plummet when he didn't see either of them. Clearing his throat, he turned back to the older man. "Ah, yes, I'm supposed be checking up on my sister."

 

A look of understanding dawned on the police recruit's face. "Well, she's probably with the idol half of the volunteers right now. We got a lot of them here," he explained. "Would you like me to lead you to them?"

 

The younger immediately shook his head. "N-No, it's okay! I don't want to be a bother."

 

"It's no a bother at all," Donghae told him gently. "Besides, it'd be nice to have a chance to talk to you since we keep on meeting like this."

 

And Kyuhyun wondered what he did to deserve such a fate.

 

He plastered on a shy smile. "If that's okay with you..."

 

"If it wasn't, I wouldn't be offering," Donghae joked before gesturing for Kyuhyun to follow him. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? You don't look to be old enough than a college student."

 

Kyuhyun eyed him. "I am a college student. What about you?" He turned red. "I-If that's okay to ask!"

 

Officer Lee laughed, grinning. "I'm 29. I just turned a few months ago."

 

"Are you serious? You don't look your age!"

 

"Does that mean I look older than 29?" Donghae chuckled. "I'm glad to know that I still look as young as I can appear to be. What about you?"

 

Kyuhyun's cheeks flushed a soft shade of pink, which he was thankful that he could blame on the strong gusts of wind that kept blowing past them. "I'm not much younger; I'm 27. And before you say anything, I'm taking my graduate studies."

 

"I wasn't going to say anything other than you're pretty awesome for pursuing an education even at your age. I never got a college diploma." Donghae shrugged. "Studying was never my thing. I went straight to work after high school. Did pretty well, if I do so say so myself."

 

"What job did you have before entering service?" the younger asked, his curiosity unmasked by the tone in his voice.

 

"I was a janitor, a messenger, and then a copy boy before I got the chance to be an intern in an advertising firm, then worked my way up very slowly when I was fully absorbed as an employee. I was a junior copywriter before I finally went in for my service," Donghae answered in details Kyuhyun did not expect to hear about. "Will you be serving soon?"

 

"Me?" Kyuhyun blinked once before shaking his head. "I actually already finished my service." When Donghae looked at him in surprise, he shyly nodded. "Voluntarily entered after I finished high school just to get it over with. After that I took entrance exams for college and managed to get into one. Started working right after I graduated before resigning to pursue graduate school due to my parents' insisting. My father has a title, you see."

 

"A title? Now I'm curious to know what his title is."

 

"He's an engineer."

 

Donghae flashed a bright smile towards the younger man. "Well, that means I should probably stay on your good side just in case I'd want to have your father build a dream home of mine and wish for a big friendship discount."

 

Kyuhyun stopped in his tracks all of a sudden, an action he did not even expect himself to do.

 

"Friend?"

 

Hearing the younger's voice and noticing the absence of a presence beside him prompted Donghae to stop walking and turn back. His gaze met Kyuhyun's in an instant and it somehow brought another smile back on his lips. "Yeah, friend. You don't mind being friends with me, right?" His smile turned into a bright grin. "I promise I won't be too much of a bother."

 

"W-Why would you want to be friends with me?"

 

Tilting his head, Donghae studied Kyuhyun in a way that had his entire body heating up. It sent chills up and down his spine at the mere suggestion of being 'friends' with the man he had been admiring for a while now.

 

Donghae blinked. "What's wrong with being friends with you? You seem like a good guy, and I find you cute."

 

The admission simply had Kyuhyun turning red and feeling faint.

 

"Are you okay? You're awfully red," the older man questioned as he stepped closer to Kyuhyun, placing a hand on his forehead.

 

Squeaking, Kyuhyun practically slid backwards. "I-I'm fine! Really! I guess I just wasn't expecting that kind of answer. Aren't you best friends with an idol or something?"

 

"Yeah, but we actually don't get to hang out that often since he's usually busy with his schedules. Besides, there's nothing ever wrong with making new friends."

 

The statement slapped Kyuhyun across the face with the simple truth. Friendships had no limits when it came to people, and while he never really considered the possibility of him making friends with the stranger he had a crush on, there really was no reason for him not to. There was personally nothing wrong with him, and he's as normal as he could possibly be; both things were very important reasons to not be afraid to be friends with him. But he just couldn't help but ask why would Donghae even want to when they only had been a number of times and just how he had become so lucky all of a sudden.

 

"But if you're not cool with being friends with me–"

 

"No, no! I-It's fine! I...I want to be friends with you, too!" Kyuhyun quickly stammered out, preventing the older man from finishing whatever he wanted to say. "Friends...We can be friends."

 

Though a fascinated look painted Donghae's face as he stared at the younger man, it did not reflect in what he had answered in response. With a short nod of understanding and silent agreement to a non-existent deal, he closed the topic and motioned for them to keep walking. Short exchanges of little tidbits about themselves continued on until they both had to part when Kyuhyun found his sister practically racing away from his two friends who chased after her unrelentingly.

\- - -

 

"I hate the fucking snow, man. I just hate it."

 

A soft chuckle slipped out of Kyuhyun's mouth while he listened to Changmin complain about the snow that covered the whole neighbourhood. The previous night's big snowfall had left the majority of the city cloaked in coldness from the ice that surrounded their homes and the streets, still kept in their strongest form with the help of the colder temperature of that day. It meant that the city was twice as cold than the usual and made any activity done to be more difficult due to the many layers of clothing people were forced to wear to battle the below zero degree weather.

 

"Finally! I don't even know why we walked! We could've ridden a cab!" Changmin continued to complain as he hurried towards the front door of Kyuhyun's house.

 

Allowing his two friends to go ahead, Kyuhyun stayed back to check on the postbox by their house's gate. He opened the slot to find several envelopes that looked like a mixture of holiday cards and bills. Idly sifting through them one-by-one as he walked towards the house, he suddenly froze in place when he saw an envelope addressed to him.

 

_From: Lee Donghae_

 

Kyuhyun's eyes widened, his gaze glued to the writing on the upper left of the envelope where a messy handwriting stared back at him. The address below the name was a residential place, given away by the apartment number; it meant that the letter had been sent privately and not from police office the older man was stationed in. Such a fact surpised Kyuhyun, but what confused him was how Donghae even knew his address.

 

"Hey, Kyuhyun!"

 

Hearing Sungmin call out to him made Kyuhyun's head shot up. He scrambled to hide the envelope inside the pocket of his jacket, below his coat, in order to prevent his friends from finding out about it before he had read what's inside. The last thing he needed was to have his nosy friends poking their noses around him while he opened the thing.

 

"Changmin said he wants to drink your mom's camomile tea," Sungmin said when Kyuhyun finally entered the house.

 

Rolling his eyes, Kyuhyun nodded and carefully took off his coat in order to hang on the rack.

 

"He knows where it is. He can make it himself," he complained, subtly making sure the letter was tucked away securely and not in danger of falling out. "You can even make it for him."

 

Sungmin gave a shrug. "Yes, but only your mom trusts you to touch her tea. Anyone else and she'll rip our hands off like a piece of paper."

 

The younger shook his head, clearly unamused by his friend's reasoning. He ignored Changmin's voice as he made his way into the kitchen, hearing the sound of the television coming on. It was always amusing how Changmin could make himself so carefree in the comforts of his house when the man seemed to get annoyed with others doing the same in his own home.

 

He glanced around to make sure neither of them would suddenly pop up. Swallowing, Kyuhyun began to prepare the tea in a rush, turning on the electric kettle for the water. Taking out the letter, he took a deep breath and opened it, finally deciding to read it.

 

_Kyuhyun-ssi,_

 

_Happy holidays! While it must be a surprise for you to get a letter from me, I'm hoping it'd be possible for us to meet up?_

_I'm currently on vacation for the holidays, so if you ever agree to meet, here's my number._

 

_Lee Donghae._

 

It was a kind of bizarre luck that Kyuhyun did not expect to have at all. With how things have been going since he had met Donghae, it seemed as if whoever was out there looking after them liked him enough to give him all the chances in the world. And as much as he felt very, very strange about how oddly easy and fast things were going for him, he was sure to not miss the chance to meet Donghae again, even if it's still a mystery to him how his address came to be in the older man's knowledge.

 

The clicking of the electric kettle brought Kyuhyun back to reality, causing him to shove the letter back inside his pocket, making sure it was not to be seen by his friends in any way. He bit back a smile whilst preparing the tea and food for them, fighting the urge to imagine how he'd respond to Donghae's invitation. With him knowing the older man's number, anything was possible. Either a text or a phone call would do, but each method meant two varying things regarding his intentions and his feelings about meeting him again.

 

Sending a text meant he's being casual and cool about it, but still showing interest in maintaining connections. A text message could also lead to a chain of more messages exchanged between them, and Kyuhyun welcomed that opportunity, even though it meant he'd have to be really interesting in his texts to keep Donghae from being bored and from suddenly stopping their exchange.

 

Giving a phone call was a whole different situation in its own. A phone call was the first sure sign of being too interested or too eager - two things Kyuhyun did not want to appear as. But a phone call had its own advantages as well, and one of those was being able to really _talk_ to Donghae again. Though, much like texting, he'd have to make sure he won't make the older man lose any interest in talking.

 

The only real problem in both situations was Kyuhyun's inability to ask or say what he wanted as Donghae had been leaving him speechless since the moment he laid eyes on him. And to be put in a position wherein he'd have to really be the one to do the initiative made everything just horribly difficult for him no matter what choice he chose to make.

 

Throughout the whole time that Changmin and Sungmin spent watching movies in his house, Kyuhyun had his mind drifting off to how he'd approach talking to Donghae. It was easy to not appear distracted from his friends as they tended to get too engrossed with their movies every single time, leaving him be to think on his own. Thankfully, his friends did not notice anything strange about him until they finally left, which meant that it was time for him to really send his response.

 

Through a text.

 

"Just a casual and cool text won't hurt. I just have to be very cool about it, which I am obviously not," Kyuhyun mumbled to himself as he stared at his mobile phone where the messaging application was opened, Donghae's number already typed in the recipient's space. Breathing in, he nodded with determination. "Here goes a cool reply."

 

He stared down at his phone, almost as if hoping the words would end up typing themselves.

 

Never before had he ever felt so nervous just to text someone.

 

_Hi, it's Kyuhyun. I got your letter, so I was—_

 

Frustrated, Kyuhyun deleted the entire text and nearly ripped out his hair.

 

As he texted something else, he stared forlornly at how sad it seemed, almost wanting the ground to swallow him whole. But, as he moved to delete it, his eyes widened in absolute terror when it was sent instead.

 

"No! No!"

 

"Oppa?" Yeri called out to him from outside his room. "Is everything okay in there?"

 

Wanting to hit himself for drawing attention, Kyuhyun cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just lost a game," he lied.

 

He heard Yeri mutter something before she walked off, clearly intent on not pressing the matter any further.

 

Sighing in relief, Kyuhyun nearly screamed in surprise when he felt his phone vibrate. Eyes wide, he stared down at the screen to find that it was a message notification from Donghae himself.

 

Kyuhyun took a few deep breaths in another attempt to calm himself. After two short glances around him, he finally tapped on the new message and felt his heart pound when he read just the first line of the text alone.

 

_I am so glad you messaged me, Kyuhyun-ssi! I didn’t think you’d respond, but I am now feeling better that you did._

 

Pausing his reading, Kyuhyun couldn’t stop himself from imagining Donghae reading his accidental message to him. A number of scenarios appeared in his mind, but what he enjoyed the most was his wishful thinking of the older man practically jumping when he saw his text. It was too much of a daydream, but Kyuhyun took comfort in Donghae’s first two sentences that it was a big possibility to have been close to reality.

 

_Now that we’re in contact, I was wondering if you’d like to hang out in this grill restaurant in Sinsadong. They supposedly have great beef! If you’d like, we can eat there for lunch tomorrow. I’ll make the reservation, and we can meet there at 12:30._

 

Kyuhyun did not want to, but he couldn’t really stop himself from thinking that it appeared like an invitation for date to him. Deny it if he must, there was still no other thought in his head other than it being a possible date with Donghae despite his reservations regarding the invitation. While he was evidently elated by it, he still couldn’t shake off the feeling that it was really odd how things were falling into place for him and his little crush on Donghae. It was well beyond surreal and reached borderline fantasy come to life - not that he was planning on fighting against it.

 

With a made up mind and a goofy smile plastered on his lips, Kyuhyun began to type up his response of agreement to the meet-up, already thinking of possible excuses to keep Changmin and Sungmin from wanting to meet with him tomorrow.

\- - -

 

“I like your hat.”

 

Kyuhyun spun around in surprise when he heard the clear voice that sounded so close to him. Finding Donghae standing in front of him, his heart pounded with an overwhelming feeling of delight. Seeing him in civilian clothes was an added treat; while he had developed a sort of dreamy-eyed attachment towards the police uniform, he had wondered many times how he’d look like dressed in plain clothes - and it was not a let-down for Kyuhyun.

 

“I’m sorry for making you wait. The clock in my apartment was slow and I only realized it when I already left,” Donghae explained, sounding genuinely apologetic. “It’s really cold out here. You should’ve just waited inside. I did tell you that I reserved a table under my name.”

 

Kyuhyun shifted a bit, thankful his scarf hid his reddening cheeks. "No, it's fine. I just got here myself."

 

The older man raised an eyebrow before his expression changed, a smile adorning his face. "Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's go in."

 

Only managing a nod, Kyuhyun prayed to the gods to help him get through this lunch without making a fool out of himself. From what he could clearly see, Donghae didn't seem to have an inkling about his crush on him. It made it more bearable for Kyuhyun, but at the same time, it was nerve-wracking as he had to make sure he didn't do anything to embarrass himself.

 

He listened as Donghae gave his name to the host, taking in the brief moment to examine Donghae's profile.

 

Outside of his police uniform and in civilian clothes, he was surely handsome. His hair was styled in a way that made Kyuhyun want to run his fingers through it, just to see how it felt beneath his fingertips, and his outfit framed his body perfectly. Realizing quickly where his thoughts were leading, Kyuhyun subtly pinched himself to prevent himself from going down further.

 

"Thank you again for agreeing to have lunch with me," Donghae spoke up, smiling that smile towards Kyuhyun that had his heart racing. "I was worried for a moment there that you'd reject me."

 

Kyuhyun shook his head, a shy smile on his face. "No, it's okay. I was more surprised you wanted to actually pursue a friendship with me." He paused, realizing something. " _How_...did you end up getting my address, though?"

 

To his surprise, Donghae's cheeks turned slightly pink.

 

"I...might have looked it up," he admitted sheepishly. "It wasn't exactly hard? I just searched for your sister's name in the log."

 

Kyuhyun stared at him blankly. "L-Log?"

 

Donghae nodded. “The volunteer work in the orphanage, remember that? The volunteers had to give their name, address, and contact number. The organizer of that is affiliated with the organizer of our relief work in the shelter.” He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing off to the side as if avoiding the younger man's gaze. "I wanted to see you outside of the musical, and when I'm off duty, but, unfortunately, I wasn't able to get your number when we last met."

 

Donghae’s blunt and unmasked enthusiasm regarding their new friendship was so striking to Kyuhyun that he was left speechless, unable to say something back so easily. He couldn’t quite understand why the older man was so happy and lively about such a simple matter, but he took it positively well. The beauty of Donghae being so open about keeping a good friendship with him was a welcome advantage for Kyuhyun to be able to get to know him better and, possibly, spend more time with him as much as he’s allowed to.

 

“I’m sorry. I sounded very creepy just now.” Donghae tugged on his shirt and smiled apologetically. “I just can’t explain it, but I feel like I really want to be friends with you. You ever had that kind of feeling? Like you’re drawn to someone and it makes you tick?” He laughed at his own words. “I’ve only ever felt that twice, and both times, I did something about it. So here I am now.”

 

Kyuhyun noted the little bit of information that Donghae had candidly shared about himself and realized how he was the type to do things based on gut feelings alone or on a whim, which he found to be reckless yet admirable at the same time.

 

“But if you looked me up, why write a letter?” Kyuhyun asked when he finally found the voice to speak and the words to say. “I’m pretty sure at least my home number’s stored there.”

 

“Ah, your sister wrote in a mobile number, so I couldn't really contact her.” Donghae flashed another sheepish smile at him. “Also, my best friend’s big on the letter thing and he kind of roped me in on it, so it’s sort of something that I found very special. Writing letters is almost a forgotten activity, but I love it. It shows the effort someone puts into sending a message.”

 

“Are you very old-fashioned then?”

 

The older man chuckled and shook his head. “On the contrary, I embrace modernity so very much. But I do occasionally like the simple things.” His expression changed to that of worry. “I’m really sorry for looking your record up. It’s totally an invasion of privacy.”

 

“Yeah...it kind of is...” Kyuhyun awkwardly said. “B-But I’m over that now. Just...try not to do anything creepy anymore. If you...want something from me, just ask.” He smiled shyly, glancing from side to side as the waiter placed their tea and water on their table. When she finally left, his gaze cautiously trailed back to the man across from him. “Shouldn’t you be spending your time off with your family? I know it’s only a short time out.”

 

“I actually don’t have any family here. Both my parents are gone; lost them when I was fifteen.” Donghae raised his hand out when he saw the younger man opening his mouth. “There’s no need to apologize for bringing them up. You didn’t know, and I don’t mind. It’s been more than a decade already.” He grinned happily in an effort to reassure the younger that he’s okay. “I have an older brother, his name is Hyukjae, but he’s married and lives overseas. He used to live here, but his work had him moved to their Singapore branch, and not because we’re loaded - far from it, actually.”

 

Kyuhyun made another mental note about Donghae’s openness towards talking about his life and himself. The older man’s casual way of talking was something that made him gradually relax and just fully focus on their conversation, even if he had little to say about himself.

 

“I hope I’m not taking you away from your friends, though. This was a sudden meet-up, after all.”

 

Kyuhyun shook his head. “No, you’re not. My friends can survive without me. Besides, I don’t have any plans for today anyway.” He coughed uneasily when he realized how pathetic he appeared to be base on how he worded himself. “Uh...so, you’re a pretty good dancer.”

 

"Oh, thank you!" Donghae's face brightened considerably. "I do enjoy dancing from time to time. Though, I haven't gotten the chance to really enjoy it until recently."

 

Kyuhyun adopted a curious look. "Really? Why not?"

 

"Busy with work, so this musical gives me a chance to enjoy myself. What about you? What of your hobbies?"

 

Turning slightly red at the sudden turn of direction, Kyuhyun shifted a bit in his seat. He always hated talking about himself; it was a fact Sungmin and Changmin quickly discovered when they first met each other in preschool. It usually took a lot for anyone to pry any sort of personal information out of him, but for some reason, Kyuhyun wanted to at least reciprocate the same amount of information Donghae had shared with him.

 

With a soft cough, Kyuhyun managed a smile.

 

"Well, I like to play games," he revealed. "It's a scary thing."

 

Donghae smiled back. "Addicted?"

 

"Sort of..." Trailing off, Kyuhyun cleared his throat. "A-Anyway, it's not that big of a deal."

 

The older man stared at him before he gave another chuckle, nodding. "I suppose. What about your friends, then?"

 

"Ah, Sungmin and Changmin are the ones you saw me with the other day in the cafe. Sungmin's getting a Ph.D. and Changmin is pursuing law."

 

“Your friend group are such high achievers, I kind of feel bad for myself now.”

 

Kyuhyun quickly shook his head, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment. The thought of making Donghae feel inferior was a fear he never knew he was ever going to experience until that moment. Shame seeped into him while the fear of hurting the older man's feelings gripped his heart, forming a lump in his throat that caused him to attempt to stammer out a response until the police recruit began to laugh.

 

“I-I'm sorry, Kyuhyun-ssi, but you look so cute just now,” Donghae managed to say through the laughter. “I didn't mean to make you worry that you'd hurt my feelings. I wasn't feeling sorry for myself, don't you worry. It was a joke.” He bit back another laugh and simply beamed at the younger man. “I'm envious, but not in a bad way. I'm just not into the whole school thing, so I don't feel bad about myself that I can't aim as high as you and your friends when it comes to education. But, really, all this does is make me admire you.”

 

A wave of relief splashed Kyuhyun when he heard Donghae's words of explanation, causing him to sigh out. He twitched a bit and tugged on the sleeve of his sweater before looking back at the older man. “I actually admire you. You're such a good dancer that's so....enthralling. You always capture everyone's attention when you're on stage.”

 

“Well, that makes me very happy. I guess all those times I practised with my best friend has really paid of.” Donghae looked evidently proud. “His charms finally rubbed on me. I actually command attention now.”

 

“I don't think that's it. I genuinely believe it's just you that's really charismatic,” Kyuhyun stated, to which Donghae stared at him for. “And I've seen your best friend dance loads of times. He's not that good. I should know since he's my sister's favourite and she makes me sit through videos of him whenever I'm home.”

 

Kyuhyun only realized a little too late what he had carelessly said to the older man, causing him to slap his hand over his mouth. Revealing his personal and honest thoughts about Donghae's best friend's lack of dancing skills or even just any skill he's lacking was surely not the best way to go about getting good points on the older man's books. Insulting one's best friend was never a good idea for anyone who wanted a chance at any kind of relationship.

 

The younger man froze when his own thoughts sank in but immediately shook it off when he heard a chuckle from across the table.

 

Stunned, Kyuhyun could only stare at Donghae in surprise. It was a reaction he wasn't expecting from the police recruit, knowing that the man he (somewhat) insulted was the man's best friend. However, all he could do was stare at Donghae with wide eyes until he finally stopped chuckling, though the amusement remained on his face.

 

Donghae seemed to finally notice him staring, causing him to smirk.

 

"Sorry," the police recruit apologized. "It's just refreshing to hear someone say that about my best friend. All I ever hear is how he's such an awesome dancer, how everyone wants a piece of him - all of that. I have nothing against him, but whenever people find out about my friendship with him, sometimes they can't help but do a little comparison."

 

Taken aback, Kyuhyun could only blink owlishly at him. It was unexpected for him to hear such a thing coming from Donghae himself. However, the honesty made him smile, somewhat relieved that it was all right for him to be honest with Donghae in return.

 

He didn't have to keep stepping on eggshells forever.

 

"If you're tired of the comparison, then why be friends?"

 

Donghae raised an eyebrow. "Because when he's not busy being an idol, he's my best friend," he reasoned. "I've known him forever - back when we were kids. However, we chose different career paths since he's very intent on being an idol. Anyway, what about you? Did you have any long-term goals?"

 

Caught off-guard by the questioned, Kyuhyun struggled to find the right answer he wanted to give. A myriad of options flooded his thoughts, reminding him of the different and wacky professions and hobbies he had tried or wanted to try throughout the years. Some of them stood out to him like a sore thumb, while others brought back fond memories of his 'easier life' before he worked for a marketing team in a food company – a job he only got because of his uncle and not his diploma.

 

“Well, not right now...but I do want to have a set career path,” Kyuhyun shamefully admitted. “It's going to take awhile, though. I really don't have any idea what I want in life right now.”

 

“I'm sure that won't be a problem. You seem like the type to have many options to choose from. It's just that you haven't really found your passion. But I know you will someday. It does take some time,” Donghae stated. “I know it took awhile for me.”

 

“So you're really into advertising?”

 

The older man happily nodded. “Someday, you're going to watch a TV commercial with my own full concept and idea. It will be a big commercial with billboards and posters all over the city. That's my goal! Just wait for it!”

 

Donghae gave a whole new meaning to ambitious, but not in a bad way. His enthusiasm about his life and his future was admirable and endearing to Kyuhyun; it struck him how it was just so magnetic. The show of passion for dancing and a career opened up another window for him to be able to get a peek on what Donghae's really like beyond the stage.

\- - -

 

It was only two days later when Kyuhyun finally revealed to Sungmin and Changmin that he had been in contact with Donghae, but he withheld the particular detail of them actually meeting up and spending time together. The two had hounded him for more details, which ended up in him sharing a few things he'd learned about the police recruit. Though the two were insistent, he was careful not to say anything else that he wanted to keep for himself, much to the frustration of his friends who were big gossips and wanted the latest scoop.

 

Since their first meet up, they had continued communication by meeting again the two days that followed. Kyuhyun was still finding their whole situation odd, but he couldn't help but show his excitement every morning as he prepared to meet with Donghae again. It did not escape his sister how he seemed to always be out as she knew how much he was a homebody. Thankfully, she was too busy with her Christmas shopping to really pry.

 

For the fourth time in a row, Kyuhyun was set to meet Donghae again. They had agreed for the place to be a movie theater as the latter wanted to catch the first showing of one of the films. Kyuhyun had already prepared for everything the night before and was ready to be out the door when he noticed the snowfall from the window. He frowned at how gloomy the outside looked like and how his family did not even tell him about the thick snowfall before they left so that (he could've gone with them for a free ride). Surrendering to his predicament, he sent Donghae a message of apology.

 

Barely a minute later, his phone began to ring.

 

_“It's okay, Kyuhyun-ssi. I know it might be hard for you to get here.”_

 

“Here? You're already there?”

 

 _"Ah,"_ came a sheepish tone. _"I was already in the area since I had a catch up with some old high school friends. But don't worry about it; I'd rather you not go out and get caught in the snow."_

 

Kyuhyun frowned, feeling his heart plummet. "But what about you? I feel awful."

 

He heard the older man chuckle, _"Don't worry about me. Just stay home for today, okay? We can always reschedule when the snow decides to be nice to us again."_

 

Hearing the teasing tone in the police recruit's voice, Kyuhyun could only agree with a faint smile on his face. It still made him feel horrible when he realized Donghae had been waiting for him, and now they couldn't even spend more time together due to the snow fall. Deciding to take his advice, Kyuhyun reluctantly settled inside his home.

 

"I'm really sorry, though."

 

_"What are you apologizing for? It's not like you told the snow to come."_

 

Kyuhyun ran a hand through his hair. "You're out there, though. Would it it be risky for you to go home, too? Where are you going to stay?"

 

There was a brief moment of silence, one that almost made Kyuhyun panic with worry.

 

_"My cousin lives around here, so I can crash with him for now. Don't worry about me; you should worry about yourself. I hear there'll be a snowstorm tonight, so make sure you stay warm and bundled up. If anything happens, call me, and I'll do everything I can to make sure you're alright."_

 

There were times when Kyuhyun wondered how Donghae never seemed to notice the effect of his words on him. He knew Donghae wasn't flirting with him — it was true concern. It made Kyuhyun's heart flutter, warmth filling him, before it slowly drained out of him when he remembered one thing about his new friend.

 

Donghae, apparently, was absolutely clueless when it came to matters of the heart.

 

It didn't take long for Kyuhyun to figure it out that the older man was far from that of his expectations about him being a big Casanova of sorts. Donghae was either just plain oblivious to his flirting or was trying to play dumb about it, either way, it quickly became evident that he just didn't know the difference between showing his concern and showing _too much_ concern. But Kyuhyun also wondered if it was just him assuming he had been too obvious. Wherever it currently stood, the only thing he was certain of was that they were going nowhere near beyond friendship, and, at the very least, he was somehow satisfied with that – though he certainly wished it was more.

 

_“You are still at home, right? You haven't gone out yet, have you?”_

 

“No, I haven't. I was already on my way when I saw the snow from the window,” Kyuhyun replied, glancing towards the window once again, hoping that the falling snow had stopped. When the same scene greeted him, he sighed out. “Are you on your way to your cousin's place?”

 

_“I'm trying, but there doesn't seem to be any cabs around here. The buses are almost all nearly full when they arrive, and if I go by train, it'll be way past my stop. I may have to walk.”_

 

“Under this condition?”

 

Donghae laughed. _“I'll be fine. I'm as tough as a bison. No snow is going to bring me down.”_

 

The older man's plain words were always too convincing that Kyuhyun couldn't help but feel compelled to buy whatever he was selling despite him not having any merchandise to shop around. That was how convincing Donghae sounded no matter what he would say. And it helped a great deal for the younger to remain calm and not worry about him too much.

 

Their conversation ended when Donghae had to say goodbye to make the fifteen minute walk to where his cousin lived, as he had said. Though still worried, Kyuhyun could do nothing but ignore the feeling as he sought out any form of entertainment to pass his time. He changed to house clothes and decided to check on the drafts he had been working on since the holidays began.

 

Taking in a few project pieces for digital art as a form of extra income while he couldn't fully commit to a career was an idea formed from being bored and in need of some distraction. It was pure luck that he was artistically-gifted, having dabbled in different forms of art expression during a couple of summers. A few workshops here and there helped him discover hidden skills he only ever got to use when he had time for his hobbies.

 

Kyuhyun had managed to take his mind off of Donghae for a good half hour until his phone beep with his message tone alert. Grabbing the device, he diverted his gaze away from the computer screen to read the message.

 

_I may have to go back to my place after all. Turns out, my cousin went away for the holidays. I'll send you a message when I get home! Stay warm!_

 

Without thinking, Kyuhyun rushed out of his room still dressed in his house clothes. He grabbed his discarded outerwear and his mother's car keys, making sure not to trip on the ice as he made his way out of the gate and to where his mother's car was parked. Ignoring his chattering teeth, he loosely wrapped his scarf around his neck and mounted his cellphone on the car, attaching it to holder near the AC. Tapping to call Donghae's number, Kyuhyun began to carefully drive out of their street, stupidly braving the snow-covered ground with nothing but a sedan.

 

“Hello? Donghae-ssi, are you still in your cousin's place?”

 

_“Ah, no, I'm already on my way to the bus stop. I figured I'll just take my chances.”_

 

Kyuhyun bit his lower lip, his crazy actions finally dawning over him when he realized that he didn't know how to tell Donghae he was on his way to fetch him without it coming off as longing to see him. “Could you just wait for me? I'll pick you up.”

 

A brief pause greeted him before he heard Donghae ask, _"You're not planning on driving out here, are you? It's too dangerous!"_

 

The worried and almost disapproving tone of Donghae's almost made Kyuhyun wince. While he knew it was because Donghae was worried about him driving in such dangerous weather, Kyuhyun truly couldn't stop his desire to chase away his own worries.

 

He swallowed. "It'll be okay. I'll just drive slowly. Can you please tell me which bus stop?"

 

Donghae was quiet for a moment before he eventually gave directions, promising Kyuhyun he'll be waiting. However, he also made Kyuhyun promise that if the snowfall was too heavy, then he should return home immediately.

 

The younger agreed reluctantly, and made haste to get to Donghae.

\- - -

 

"Either you're really stupid or you were that concerned," Changmin couldn't help but comment once he heard the story of what happened. "But very brave of you to do that!"

 

Sungmin chuckled, turning to face Donghae, who appeared slightly bewildered upon their unannounced arrival when the snowfall stopped.

 

Kyuhyun sent daggers at his friend with his eyes before turning to Donghae. "Do you want more tea?"

 

"Ah," Donghae jerked a bit in surprise, managing a small smile. "No, it's okay.

 

“I'd say. This isn't even his mom's good camomile tea,” Changmin remarked after taking a short sip from his cup. “I feel that's a disrespect towards your guests, Kyu.”

 

“You're not even guests. You just barged in here and left a trail of snow by the door that I had to clean up by myself,” Kyuhyun retorted. “What were you two even doing out?”

 

“When you said your plans fell through, we thought we'd keep you company,” Changmin replied before a wide smile formed on his lips. “We didn't know that you didn't even need us anymore since you had your own company.”

 

As discreetly as he could, Kyuhyun once again glared sharply at his friend, who tried to hide his snickering from behind his cup of tea. He bit back a scowl and stood up, excusing himself to head back into the kitchen in hopes to find something to feed his guests. Once alone, he hurriedly opened the fridge and rummaged through the stock of food they had, desperate to find anything decent enough to serve without the hassle of having to cook.

 

It took a long moment of searching before Kyuhyun was able to find something from their leftover food that he deemed to be good enough. With no knowledge of cooking at all, there was very limited option he could choose from, which eventually led him to picking out a sealed gimbap and a fruit plate he was sure was made for their dinner that evening. Shrugging off the thought, he went on to prepare everything, while silently praying that his friends hadn't said anything to embarrass him yet.

 

“Need help?”

 

Kyuhyun craned his neck to look behind him, finding Donghae standing by the entryway of the kitchen. “Donghae-ssi, i-is there anything you need?”

 

“No, there isn't. I just came to see how you're doing and if you needed any help in here,” Donghae answered. “You've been gone for awhile, so I thought I'd better check..though your friends were oddly against it. Strange.” Stepping inside the kitchen, Donghae awkwardly looked around for a moment as he walked closer to where the younger man was standing. He stopped beside him and glanced at the platter on the counter. “It looks like you didn't need my help, after all.”

 

Trailing his gaze at what he had been, Kyuhyun nervously smiled, feeling the embarrassment rising up to his cheeks. “I'm sorry. I have nothing else to feed you. My cooking skills are non-existent. I'd rather not take any risk.”

 

“Don't you worry about it. You've already done so much for me. I feel like I've already overstayed my welcome.” Lifting his head, Donghae smiled brightly. “Besides, you're not alone. My cooking skills are non-existent, too.” His face lit up with delight as if he had just thought of a brilliant idea. “Hey, I finally found something we match in!”

 

Kyuhyun reeled back, surprised. "Y-You're happy about that?"

 

"Sure," the older man answered happily. "I mean, it's good to know we can be friends even if we have differences, but finding something in common never hurts."

 

The younger refused to blush, but it didn't stop butterflies from forming in his stomach. He cleared his throat, eyes glancing away before he looked back at Donghae. "You're strange."

 

Looking amused, Donghae simply shrugged. "Yes, but that'll make you strange, too, since you've befriended a strange person."

 

Kyuhyun smiled slightly, watching as Donghae soon became distracted when Sungmin entered the kitchen in order to simply engage him in conversation. He watched Donghae for a moment, wondering if he should even bother attempting to confess to him.

 

But if things didn't go right, he might just end up losing the older man as a friend.

 

His thoughts gradually processed as the day passed, the four them eventually having to stay for the night once they realized the snow had gotten thicker over time. His parents had called, saying they were staying over at a friend's house, and his sister reported the same to him.

 

Kyuhyun briefly wondered how the situation made him feel like a kid again.

 

"You really should tell the guy," Sungmin whispered to him once Donghae escaped to another room when his cell phone rang. "I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"

 

"He can embarrass himself?" Changmin chimed in, earning a slap on the head. "Ow!"

 

Ignoring Changmin, Kyuhyun shook his head. "How can I even start? What if he doesn't even like me that way? I don't want to ruin anything."

 

Sungmin's expression was one of patience as he placed a hand on Kyuhyun's shoulder. "But it might bear some good fruit, too. The best thing you can do is try, Kyuhyun. He seems to like you well enough and even appears to be attached to you. Just tell him."

 

An uncomfortable feeling surrounded Kyuhyun at the mere thought of confessing to Donghae his silly little crush. To him, crushes were never an issues as they always faded away at some point in his life, which meant that they were never really supposed to be let out in any form of the imagination. Just the thought of him telling Donghae his admiration for him that extended beyond that of a stranger's appreciation for talent was enough to make his stomach turn – and not the kind that the older man did to him.

 

Waving off Sungmin's kind suggestion, Kyuhyun proceeded to set down the bedding he had taken from his parents' room. He avoided the subject of Donghae no matter how much Changmin tried to get back on topic, until he was forced to shut up when the police recruit finally came back inside the room. Kyuhyun had to hold back a sigh of relief, thankful that he did not need to hear his friends' talk about his crush. For him, the matter was a closed subject that need not be touched, and he was intended on keeping it that way.

 

Sleep knocked off the four almost as soon as they finished preparing for bed. Their agreed places inside Kyuhyun's room was decided on by Changmin, who assigned a corner of the room for each of them except the host himself who had his own bed. Just as sleep did not take long to arrive, the sound of loud snoring roared inside the room like a motorcycle's engine having trouble, creating a disorganized symphony within the four wall's of Kyuhyun's bedroom. But it was the uneven pitch of Sungmin's snore that finally made Kyuhyun's eyes snap wide open.

 

As if awoken by an explosion, he sat upright and immediately grabbed his cellphone, pillow, and blanket, not even bothering to spare a glance at his guests as he stepped out of the room. His many sleepovers with his friends had taught him enough to not bother complaining about their snoring and to just simply resign himself to sleeping somewhere else, which always led him to the living room couch. Setting his things down, Kyuhyun positioned himself comfortably and closed his eyes, only to open them once again when the sound of something vibrating against the table caught his attention. He snatched his cellphone from above his head and looked at the lighted screen, nearly jumping when he saw the message that he had received from Donghae.

 

_Do you mind if I join you? I can't sleep._

 

Kyuhyun nearly fumbled with his phone, almost dropping it due to his shock.

 

The mere fact that Donghae would willing join him in the living room - _alone_ , his mind decided to add - was almost enough to leave him speechless. However, he knew if he continued to keep quiet, then Donghae would probably take it the wrong way and it would react negatively.

 

_Sure, I don't mind._

 

It didn't take long before he heard Donghae coming downstairs, making him tense up.

 

Though he had been alone with the police recruit before, it was never at night since Donghae usually had other duties to attend to, and Kyuhyun usually had a family dinner to attend. After making himself relax, Kyuhyun looked up to see the older man finally joining him, sitting on the ground beside the couch.

 

"Why couldn't you sleep?" Kyuhyun decided to ask.

 

Donghae laughed softly, leaning against the couch. "Your friends...are kind of loud," he admitted, sounding embarrassed as if he was confessing to a crime. "Then again, I have a bad case of insomnia, so sleep usually comes late for me."

 

Frowning a bit, the younger leaned towards him a little. "Insomnia? Then shouldn't you see a doctor for that?"

 

"I'm joking." Donghae grinned when Kyuhyun blushed. "You're adorable, you know that?"

 

If it was possible, Kyuhyun turned redder. "I-I'm not!" he spluttered.

 

“Yes, you are,” the older man insisted. “You have such a clear mind. You always have answers for anything I say. It's very endearing.” He smiled and turned his head a bit in order to look at the younger man's face better. “I like that about you, you know. In fact, I like a of things about you. I guess that means that I really like you.”

 

Kyuhyun was certain that he had released an unwanted sound when he noticed how close Donghae's face was to his. The odd position they were both in, with him lying on the couch and the older man situated on the floor by his head, made the whole atmosphere inside the room unexpectedly heavy for him. A lump had formed in his throat that caused him to keep silent even after Donghae had finished talking. With how close their faces were to each other, it was difficult for Kyuhyun to think as he knew there was no clear words he could really say to break the ice properly without turning the moment into an uncomfortable one for the both of them.

 

That was risk he was not willing to take at all.

 

“What's not to like, after all? You're awesome,” Donghae breathed out, the volume of his voice lowered. “Who would even save a stranger they've only known for a few days in the middle of a thick snowfall like this? And to let them stay inside their house overnight? That's such a great act of kindness. The world needs more people like you.”

 

Kyuhyun blinked and managed to let out a fake cough, allowing him the chance to look away and pull back a bit. His eyes focused on the ceiling, conscious of the gaze that was still directed on him. The sharp sounds of the strong wind blowing outside the house was a much appreciated audio effect that he needed and wanted in hopes that it would be enough to cover how loud his pounding heart sounded to him.

 

“Kyuhyun-ssi?”

 

Biting his lower lip, Kyuhyun slowly turned his head to the side. Despite knowing what was to come, he still couldn't help but be surprised at the proximity that he shared with Donghae. With his face so close to his once again, the butterflies in his stomach returned, accompanied by an aching feeling to just hide away. “Y-Yeah?”

 

Donghae breathed in and out, gaze fixed on the younger man's eyes. “In seven months, I'll be discharged.” Grinding his teeth once, he swallowed shortly. “Do you think– ”

 

Feeling his mouth go dry, Kyuhyun licked his lips, faintly noting how Donghae tracked the movement with his eyes. He cleared his throat. "D-Do I think...what?"

 

He watched with wide eyes as Donghae shifted in his place until he was closer than before to him, a hand placed on the cushions on the couch, leaning over him slightly. It was apparent that the police recruit appeared nervous, teeth biting his bottom lip, before he let out a small sigh.

 

"Do you think you will go out with me?"

 

The question sent a shock down Kyuhyun's whole body.

 

While he was so immersed in his own thoughts and feelings for Donghae, he somehow had forgotten to take into account as to what the other man could possibly feel for him. Somehow, he knew in his subconscious that there was no way for a man like Donghae could ever have feelings for him, or even possibly like him. The older man held himself in a way Kyuhyun couldn't, and had enough charm to win even Changmin and Sungmin over in such a short time.

 

He briefly wondered how he could have missed all the signs if there had been any at all.

 

"A-Are you sure?" Kyuhyun swallowed. "I-I mean...we've only known each other for a short time. I don't think-"

 

Donghae gave him a smile, one that was so heartwarming that it made Kyuhyun's cheeks heat up.

 

"I've told you before that I find you very kind, Kyuhyun," Donghae told him. "And you're also very adorable, but if you can't wait for me–"

 

"I'll wait for you!"

 

The startled expression that masked Donghae's face made Kyuhyun instantly realize what he had just blurted out. In that moment of clarity, the one mistake he had made successfully crumbled the days and weeks he had tried so hard to deny his own feelings. With numerous reasons and excuses he could come up with as his argument, he thought that they were enough for him to keep himself from really saying anything. But he was, sadly, mistaken, and that was proven true in the most unluckiest of situations in the most convenient of spaces.

 

“Uh...”

 

“You...would?” Donghae asked, his tone sounding like a mere whisper to the younger's ears.

 

Another lump formed in Kyuhyun's throat that forced him to swallow hard. The unbelievable misfortune that he found himself in just mere seconds after feeling like the skies were opening for him was similar to a cruel twist of fate. And to make matters worse, he couldn't conjure up even a lame excuse to weasel himself out of the predicament. All that he could do was remain trapped under Donghae's gaze, unable to move an inch for fear of embarrassing himself even more.

 

He suddenly sucked in his breath when Donghae finally reacted by brandishing a smile on his face, a smile so similar to the one he had just a moment ago. The appearance of it eased the tension that Kyuhyun felt, even if just the slightest. But when the older man pulled away, he caught himself sighing out in relief without even worrying about it being noticeable.

 

Back to his previous position on the floor, Donghae looked back at the younger man with a hopeful expression that mostly glossed over his eyes. “Did you mean that?” he asked, a bit uncertain. “Will you really be able to wait for me for seven months?”

 

Kyuhyun turned his head in order to look at the Donghae. His gaze immediately started to shift from every corner of the room until he no longer had anywhere else to look but back to the police recruit. With a heavy sigh, he shyly nodded. “It's pathetic, isn't it? Just for a date,” Kyuhyun mumbled. “But...I'm almost afraid to say 'no', even if you probably won't want to go out with me in seven months anyway.”

 

"And who's to say I'm not going to?" Donghae questioned, tilting his head to the side. "It's not nice to make assumptions, you know."

 

Kyuhyun made a face. "Well, why would you even wait for me? I'm not...exciting or even all that interesting."

 

To his surprise, Donghae made a face, and he yelped when the older man suddenly reached over and pinched his nose. He gaped at the police recruit in evident surprise when his nose was finally released.

 

"Don't ever say that about yourself. You are interesting, very much so, and I've enjoyed our time spent together," the older man admonished, somehow making Kyuhyun feel like he was a child again. "But who's to say it'll even be just a date?"

 

Blinking, the younger man eyed Donghae curiously. "If not a date, then what?"

 

"A relationship."

 

Kyuhyun's eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly.

 

For what he knew, Donghae didn't even seem the least bit attracted to him, but tonight seemed to be the exact thing he needed to open his eyes. However, at the same time, he could only feel flustered by Donghae's words. He had learned early on from their previous encounters that whenever the older man wanted to make his opinion known, he wouldn't hesitate to make it known. While he had a filter, unlike Kyuhyun, Donghae was always direct with saying what he wanted.

 

His charms knew no bounds.

 

And Kyuhyun felt himself flattered.

 

"A-Are you sure? We don't even know that much about each other, and what if you find out that I'm not the right person or that I'm—"

 

"Kyuhyun-ssi, you're rambling."

 

Mouth snapping shut, Kyuhyun lowered his gaze, feeling his face grow hot.

 

“You really are adorable and you don't even know how much you are,” Donghae said, a hint of laughter in his tone. “Isn't that what dating is all about? People getting to know each other? And maybe, somehow, form a relationship later on? We'll just have to find out as we go along. Of course, it could end up with you realizing you don't even like me. It goes both ways for us.” He let out a deep breath. “But you already said you'll wait for me. No take backs.”

 

Hearing no more words from Donghae after seconds of silence, Kyuhyun trailed his eyes upward and was greeted with a warm smile and a tender gaze. “In...seven months?”

 

Donghae nodded. “In seven months.”

\- - -

 

“Ahhh!”

 

Kyuhyun jumped in shock at the earth-shattering scream that abruptly woke up him up. His eyes immediately darted from side to side before spotting his sister by the front door, her mouth hanging open. He began to slowly breathe in and out, calming himself down. “Yeri, what was that for? You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

 

“What was that?”

 

Turning to his side, Kyuhyun watched Donghae struggle to sit up from his position on the floor. He frowned when the older man rubbed his eyes, still clearly sleepy. “Sorry. That was my sister.”

 

“Oh. My. God.”

 

Kyuhyun craned his neck just in time to see his sister walking over to them. “Yeri–”

 

“You're Lee Donghae!” Yeri shrieked. “You're my oppa's best friend!”

 

Donghae blinked a couple of time before looking up at Kyuhyun. “Well...”

 

“She's talking about your idol best friend,” Kyuhyun clarified. “He's her favourite idol. I forgot to tell you that one minor detail.”

 

“Minor?” Donghae asked, appearing incredulous. “This is minor?”

 

“She's harmless. She's also only seventeen. Please play nice.”

 

Donghae gave Kyuhyun a look, but reeled back when Yeri let out another squeal and was suddenly by his side.

 

"It's so nice to meet you!" Yeri exclaimed happily, taking a seat by the police recruit's side. "I'm Yeri."

 

Mustering up a smile, Donghae gave a slight nod. "It's very nice to meet you, Yeri-ssi."

 

Somehow, it was amusing for Kyuhyun to see Donghae appear slightly disconcerted by being so close to his sister. The apparent discomfort masking the man's face was almost too good to leave alone.

 

But then, a look of horror masked Donghae's face.

 

"What time is it?"

 

Yeri blinked, her mouth left open from where she was rambling, before answering, "It's eight in the morning."

 

Both siblings were left startled when Donghae suddenly got to his feet, hurriedly excusing himself as he escaped into the kitchen, claiming he needed to make a call. Kyuhyun caught the words of 'senior' and 'penalty' before he left the room.

 

Silence reigned between the two before Yeri finally decided to clear her throat, effectively breaking the awkward tension slowly building in between the two.

 

"Oppa, if you don't get together with him soon, I'm disowning you."

 

Kyuhyun choked, his wide eyes staring at his sister in disbelief.

 

"What!?"

 

"What?" Yeri asked back, the perfect picture of innocence. "I'm just saying. He's a very good match for you, and I'll be very disappointed if you let a man like him slip through your fingers. Hell, if I was older, I'd go for him."

 

"Yeri!"

 

“Oppa, not so loud. Your guest is talking to his superior,” Yeri casually said. “Don't even bother denying that you like him. I've caught you looking so happy whenever you're texting him; and yes, I did check your phone to be sure. I figured out your password a long time ago.” Upon seeing the appalled expression on her brother's face, she laughed and stood up. “You're so easy to figure out, oppa. You're like an open book.”

 

Kyuhyun visibly grimaced. “Yeri, what do you want?”

 

“I don't want anything. I just want you to date him because he's clearly interested in you the same way you're into him.” Lifting a hand, Yeri silently stopped her brother from voicing an argument against her words. She patted the older man's legs to move it aside, settling on the space on the edge of the couch. “With how much you two text each other, it's obvious that you're both so into each other. You've also been spending everyday together. And even after a whole day together, you still have so much to talk about in your messages. Believe me, oppa, he's into you.”

 

His internal debate about whether or not to tell Yeri what had happened between him and Donghae became evident on his face as the seconds of staring at her passed by. When he noticed how his sister's expression changed, Kyuhyun groaned out loud and rubbed his face, feeling his cheeks warm up in shyness.

 

Yeri was always the first person to know even without him saying one word; that's how close they're to each other, despite appearances.

 

“What did you say?”

 

Mumbling something incoherent, Kyuhyun shook his head. “I brought shame to our family by blurting out in a real needy voice that I was going to wait for him.”

 

An expression of glee masked Yeri's face and she clapped her hands together excitedly.

 

"Oppa, you're such a—"

 

"Don't even finish saying that!"

 

Yeri snickered at the obvious misery painting her brother's face, reaching over to gently pat his knee. "You're new to this whole affection thing, but you'll get used to the whole relationship scenario."

 

"Yeri..."

 

His sister beamed, startling Kyuhyun by the bright expression on his sister's face that he had never ever seen before. "Oppa, I'm rooting for the two of you! Good luck!"

 

If there was a time Kyuhyun wanted lightning to strike him, it was in that moment. He buried his face in his hands, nearly whimpering at the mere prospect of his own sister starting to cheer him on. It was much easier for him to pretend he wasn't interested in Donghae, but it seemed that the whole world was conspiring against him.

 

His eyes shifted over to where Donghae was in the kitchen, evidently relieved that the police recruit hadn't returned yet.

 

Frowning, he looked back at Yeri, who grinned at him.

 

"Don't tell the parents."

 

Yeri scoffed. "Of course not." Then she perked up again. "Do you think he'll introduce me personally to his best friend?"

 

"Now you're hoping for too much."

 

"Oppa, you—"

 

Both siblings' attention was caught by the sound of someone clearing their throat, turning to see Donghae standing there, amusement dancing in his eyes.

 

"Was I interrupting something?" Donghae wondered, trying his best to hide his mirth but failing.

 

Sparing her brother a quick glance, Yeri beamed and shook her head. “Oppa was just telling me what he wants for breakfast. I always have to ask before I make something since he's a very, very picky eater.” She stood up and took off her scarf and coat, draping them over the couch. “Anyway, I better start making breakfast then. Is there anything you want, Donghae-ssi?”

 

“No, nothing at all. Unlike your brother, I eat whatever's there.” Donghae smiled when he noticed that Kyuhyun did not miss the teasing tone in his voice. “You cook?”

 

“Only for Oppa because he actually trusts my cooking,” Yeri answered with a joke. “But I promise that you won't get food poisoning. Oppa's still alive after two years, after all.”

 

That got Donghae laughing. “I trust you then. I can't complain, of course. I just became an unexpected guest here because of the snowstorm last night.”

 

“Right...Yeri,” Kyuhyun called out. “How did you get home so early?”

 

“My friend's father dropped me here on his way to work. He has a store to look after so he braved the snow. It's still mostly not passable outside, though.” Looking back at Donghae, Yeri tilted her head. “By the way, do you have to leave soon, Donghae-ssi?”

 

“I have to head back this afternoon. My free time off ends today, unfortunately. But I get Christmas eve and day off. I'm not so sure about New Year's,” Donghae answered softly. “I got a little late calling in for my regular reporting to my superior, so I will definitely get penalized for that.”

 

“Wow. They really do take it seriously there...” Yeri mumbled before disappearing into the kitchen.

 

Once his sister was out of earshot, Kyuhyun decided to finally move out of the couch and begin folding his blanket. He grabbed his cellphone from the coffee table and was not surprised to see numerous missed calls from his parents since six in the morning. Sighing heavily, he quickly typed up a message for his mother and proceeded to change his password afterwards.

 

Even though he knew that his sister would probably still be able to crack the code, he wanted to just be extra careful. Kyuhyun knew how much of an open book he is to the other who know him well enough, but it did not stop him from trying to remain as secretive as possible. With how things had progressed overnight in regards to his so-called love life, it came as a decision to him to, perhaps, finally start taking extra measures to keep his secrets the way they were supposed to be – secrets.

 

“Kyuhyun-ssi?”

 

Jerking a bit, Kyuhyun blushed faintly upon remembering that Donghae was still in the room. Quickly putting his phone away, he turned back to Donghae, who was watching him curiously.

 

"Y-Yes?"

 

Donghae hid a smile, his head tilting to the side. "I was just wondering if you were okay."

 

"I-I'm fine."

 

The police recruit's amusement began to appear, finally losing the mask he was desperately trying to keep in place. He walked closer to Kyuhyun, and gave him a smile that had Kyuhyun's heart starting to race miles.

 

He could go on forever and wonder why the police recruit had such a strong effect on him. It hurt and yet it made him excited to be able to experience such a feeling. The fact that he was willing to wait for Donghae for an extra seven months could only prove to strengthen his feelings or see if it was truly just a crush.

 

But regardless of what happened, Kyuhyun was sure no one could ever make him feel giddy like Donghae was doing to him right now.

 

"A-Are you going to be able to stay for breakfast?"

 

Donghae's smile turned apologetic. "I apologize, but I actually have to leave."

 

"But it's still deep out there..."

 

"Yeah, but it's capable to maneuver around," the older retorted gently. "I still need to pay a visit to my friend and, well, my best friend's parents before I head back to the station."

 

Kyuhyun tried his hardest to keep the disappointment from painting his face, to which he was certain he had succeeded when he gave a short nod of understanding. “Do you need a change of clothes?”

 

“That won't be necessary. I'll shower at home right away before going about meeting others. But thank you for asking.”

 

Nodding again, Kyuhyun stepped aside and took his blanket and pillow from the couch while Donghae proceeded to fix the bedding he had laid out on the floor. It gave him enough time to accept that the older man would have to leave right away, a good enough excuse for him to be able to think over what he had agreed upon during the time he was sleepy and caught off-guard. He felt no real regret regarding his decision to try some form of dating with Donghae, and he was prepared for how difficult their situation could get, but the uncertainty crept up within him whenever he thought about how odd the whole thing would be. It, to Kyuhyun, felt like ending something beautiful that barely even started.

 

“Are Changmin-oppa and Sungmin-oppa upstairs?” Yeri asked when she spotted her brother stepping inside the kitchen with Donghae nowhere in sight. “Should I make more pancakes?”

 

“Yeah, they're upstairs. They were snoring as always, so I moved downstairs.” Leaning against the doorframe, Kyuhyun sighed. “But you don't need to make so much. Donghae-ssi's not joining us. He has more people to see. He already went upstairs to get his things.”

 

Yeri's lips formed into a pout that quickly turned into a frown once she saw the look on her brother's face. Throwing him a sympathetic gaze, she silently went back to what she was doing, choosing not to say anything at all.

 

The sympathy thrown his way was enough for Kyuhyun to groan out, feeling utterly pathetic for appearing so evidently disappointed. He always knew that he wore his heart on his sleeve like a vulnerable fool, but he never predicted the extent of it showing in his whole demeanour and expression. With no real experience in forming a relationship in such a manner, other than few odd dates back when he was younger, he was at odds with his own thoughts and emotions – both of which battled with how he dealt with it on the outside.

 

“I have to go now.”

 

Straightening, Kyuhyun forced a smile on his face and nodded.

 

"Sorry for keeping you."

 

Donghae shook his head, giving him a smile in return as joined him by the door. "No, I should apologize for the intrusion. Thanks for taking a stranger in." He winked good-naturedly. "After all, you never know if I turn out to be someone different."

 

Warmth flooded onto Kyuhyun's cheeks. "I-It's fine. Don't worry about it."

 

The police recruit's smile widened, and he surprised Kyuhyun by suddenly taking his hand. Lifting their linked hands together, he pressed a kiss against the back of the younger man's hand. It had Kyuhyun's face turn beet red, faintly hearing wolf whistling off to the side.

 

"Go away!" Kyuhyun nearly screamed as he turned to glare at their audience.

 

Almost immediately, Sungmin, Changmin, and Yeri scrambled into the kitchen.

 

Donghae let out a short huff of laughter, releasing Kyuhyun's hand.

 

"I'll keep sending you letters," Donghae told him with a smile. "I'll keep in touch with you."

 

Kyuhyun gave a shy nod. "Alright. Just...be careful out there, okay?"

 

"Always. I'll see you in seven months, then, _Kyuhyun_."

 

“Seven months.”

 

Donghae stepped back and gave the younger man a salute. “Only proper way to greet my senior, after all.” He chuckled when Kyuhyun simply stared at him. Turning towards their audience, he gave each of them a short bow while he walked himself towards the front door. “Thank you for having me, Kyuhyun. You were a delightful host. I hope you get some more sleep.”

 

Parting with one last look, Kyuhyun watched Donghae disappear out of the door, with its closing completely hiding him from view. A heavy sigh slipped out of his lips until he noticed the three pairs of eyes directed right at him. Looking to his side, he clicked his tongue and scowled at them before leaving the room without a word said.

\- - -

 

_December 21_

 

_Merry Christmas! I'm happy to be able to send you this card even if it's all I can give. Next Christmas, I'll be sure to give you a present. It's unfortunate that we can't meet this time or new year's, but I am at least all the more looking forward to the next time we see each other again._

_Have a wonderful holidays, Kyuhyun!_

 

 

_Lee Donghae_

 

Kyuhyun bit his lower lip as he let out a short sound akin to a squeal. Having not seen or heard from Donghae since their goodbyes when his free time ended, his glee from receiving the Christmas card in the mail that morning was incomparable. As embarrassing as it was for him to admit, he had jumped up and down when he had opened the enveloped; worries eased upon finally hearing from Donghae again, just like what he promised.

 

And he was going to make sure he'd keep his end of that.

\- - -

 

_December 23_

 

_Merry Christmas to you, too, Donghae. I hope you're doing well in your service, and able to spend the remaining time with your friends and your brother._

_But I'm holding you to next Christmas, where we can actually spend some time together. Make sure you take care of yourself well. Always wear something warm!_

 

_Cho Kyuhyun_

_\- - -_

 

_December 26_

 

_I hope your Christmas went well! It must've been fun to spend it with your friends and family. Oh, and don't tell your sister yet, but I've managed to convince my best friend to pay her a special visit on his next vacation._

_It'll be a belated Christmas present._

_How have you been, anyway? (And yes, I've been keeping warm, so don't worry about it.)_

 

_Lee Donghae_

_\- - -_

 

_December 28_

 

_Donghae, I've been fine. It's peaceful right now, though my best friends are still the same. They're trying to rope me into participating in a food kitchen charity since there are some girls who've managed to catch their attention._

_What's going on with you?_

_And that's a nice present to give to my sister. She'll be happy (read: ecstatic) about that. I hope it wasn't a bother or trouble for you to ask your best friend that. It's not an obligation. But nonetheless, I am grateful, and I know my sister will break my ears with her shrieking once this happens._

_Thank you._

 

_Cho Kyuhyun_

_\- - -_

 

_January 1_

 

_Happy new year, Kyuhyun!_

_It's too bad that I wasn't allowed to be out this time. My penalty was no free days off. I have to be sure to behave until the next holiday in a few weeks time. I have no set plans yet, but do you think it would be possible for us to meet up? If you can manage to squeeze me in your schedule, that is. I would really like to see you again._

_I'll eagerly wait for your answer._

 

_Lee Donghae_

 

“You look happy.”

 

Sealing the envelope securely, Donghae craned his neck to look at his fellow police recruit. A warm smile appeared on his lips as he went about putting a stamp on the envelope, staring at his finished work afterwards. “That's because I am.”

\- - -

 

“Oppa! Another letter arrived!”

 

Almost scrambling up to his feet from where he was sitting on the floor, Kyuhyun ignored the amused expression on his sister's face as he took the letter from her.

 

"How cute."

 

"Go away," Kyuhyun told her, sending her a glare when she snickered at him. Deciding not to bother with her anymore, he went upstairs to his room in an attempt to gain some privacy.

 

It had been a few weeks since he last received Donghae's last letter. The police recruit had been submerged into his service recently that he hadn't had enough time to continue the correspondence, aside from receiving little notes here and there from others who had seen the police recruit out and about on duty. Winter had come and gone, easily being replaced with the warm sun and melting snow.

 

In fact, Kyuhyun was surprised he had even lasted this long with being content of sending letters back and forth with his still strong-going crush.

 

Once in the safety of his bedroom, Kyuhyun opened the letter, his eyes taking in every word written on the page, despite Donghae's terrible handwriting. He nearly smiled and laughed upon reading what was written, feeling his heart become lighter upon receiving the knowledge that Donghae was still all right and going strong.

 

However, it was the words at the end of the letter that had him stop breathing for a moment.

 

_It's almost time for me to leave the service, and I was wondering if you're still willing to wait for me. I don't expect an answer in your next letter because I want to hear it coming from you personally._

_I have a vacation for the upcoming Lunar New Year, so I was wondering if you'd like to meet up._

_I know it's a sudden thing to ask from you, but at the very least, I wanted to know._

_Just let me know!_

 

_Lee Donghae_

 

Kyuhyun bit his lower lip, his eyes scanning the particular part over and over again. The coming new year holiday was only three days away, with almost everyone being let off for a free time. It had not crossed his mind that he would be able to meet Donghae during the said period of time or that the latter would even want to see him, which was why he had no complaints about agreeing to his parents' plan to vacation to their grandparents' place in the province.

 

Immediately realizing there was no option out of his original plans, Kyuhyun whined.

\- - -

 

Pressing his neatly folded shirt against the bottom of his bag, Donghae began to quietly hum to himself as to not disturb any of his troop members. One by one, he tossed his things inside the bag, quickly making sure that he would not need any of them. With the spring season already around the corner, the need for thick clothing was out of the picture.

 

It also meant his time in service was gradually nearing closure.

 

“Mail!”

 

Donghae quickly zipped his bag and looked up, a wide grin appearing on his face when his name was called out by the officer in charge. Accepting his usual number of mail from his superior, he made his way back to his bunk and stood straight until the officer finally left his troop's designated room. Once he was gone, he sat down on his bed and began to look through the envelopes, smiling brightly when he saw Kyuhyun's name.

 

He didn't waste any time opening the letter, though a pout did form on his face.

 

_Donghae,_

 

_Unfortunately, I had already made plans with my parents to visit my grandparents this year. By the time I got your letter, everything was finalized, and I could no longer get out of it._

_Trying to explain to my parents that I want to see you would be rather embarrassing._

_But I hope you enjoy your New Year! Maybe we'll be able to catch each other soon._

 

_Cho Kyuhyun_

 

A pout formed on Donghae's lips, but he couldn't fault the younger man for already making plans.

 

With a sigh, he considered writing a reply, but knew he wouldn't have enough time. He figured he'd simply send the younger man a letter another time.

 

"Lee! Your brother is here!"

 

Wasting no time, Donghae shoved the letter in his bag before he hefted it over his shoulder and headed out.

\- - -

 

"No new letter from him?"

 

“None since February,” Kyuhyun mumbled. “Not even random notes.”

 

“It's May. You're supposed to be meeting him this July,” Changmin reminded. “And yet you haven't spoken to each other since what?”

 

Sungmin threw Changmin the eraser he had been using, earning a loud sound of protest. He clicked his tongue at the younger man and motioned towards Kyuhyun who had grown quiet.

 

“You've been sending him letters since then, right?” Sungmin asked, receiving a short nod in reply. “Maybe he's just been busy is all. Remember when we're all in service, we did have big gaps in our mail. And he's about nearing completion of his, so it's possible that he's busier.”

 

“Or maybe–”

 

“Kyuhyun, you have a letter!”

 

All three friends jumped up from the floor and scrambled out of the bedroom, colliding with each other on the way out. As soon as they arrived in the living room, they were greeted with the confused look on Kyuhyun's mother's face, which they responded with by giving her bright smiles before bolting upstairs once the letter was in Kyuhyun's hand. They all returned to their previous positions, all of them eager to see what was inside the letter.

 

“Is it from him? Is it from him?” Changmin repeatedly asked in anticipation. “Hurry!”

 

“Calm down, Changmin. You're not the one who you got the letter,” Sungmin said. “Let Kyuhyun open it when he wants to.”

 

Seeing Donghae's messy and almost unreadable handwriting on the envelope elated Kyuhyun so much that he almost wanted to cry out in joy. After _months_ of not hearing from the older man, he finally had the physical evidence of his response to his last letter. Happy yet nervous, Kyuhyun opened the envelope and was surprised to find three pages inside. He anxiously began to read in silence, eager eyes moving from word to word.

 

_I'm really very sorry for being unable to send you anything the past few months. But I appreciate all the letters you've sent me despite that; I've kept every single one of them safe and close to me. I have wanted to send a reply for so long but it's been very tough for me to find the time ever since I was promoted._

_I'm sorry, Kyuhyun. I hope you forgive me. And I hope you don't think I have forgotten about you because I haven't – not even for a second._

_There have been a lot of things happening in the past few months I haven't been able to respond to you, but none of them has ever changed what's most important._

_My feelings for you._

_Unfortunately, this will be the last time I'd be able to write to you, which explains the extra three pages I've written for you this time. I've wanted to express my feelings for you better, and I'll admit that I was hoping to express them better to you during the Lunar New Year holidays, but life just happens to get in the way, right?_

  _I'm joking, of course!_

 

"Well, what does it say?" Changmin asked eagerly, earning a smack on the head. "Ow!"

 

Sungmin rolled his eyes, looking back at Kyuhyun. "Anything?"

 

"He says he hadn't written in the past few months because he's been promoted," Kyuhyun shared, seeing his friends look relieved. It made him raise an eyebrow, but he shook his head. "But this will be the last letter he's going to send since his promotion is going to make him even busier."

 

Changmin clicked his tongue. "That sucks, but at least we know he's doing alright."

 

"Anything else? Or should we just leave you to it for now?"

 

_I guess I can just hope to see you there. If you were still able to wait for me, that is._

_I'll be waiting right in front like we agreed on before._

_On July 14._

 

_Lee Donghae_

 

“Kyuhyun?”

 

Kyuhyun answered silently with only a shake of his head. He held the letter close to him and breathed out, completely in disbelief at what he had just read.

 

 

 


End file.
